Electric switch



ug- 11, 1936- A. c. GAYNoR l 2,050,698

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 5, 1934 III a illmlllllllm n:

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atented ug. il, 193

ELECTRIC STCE Arthur C. Gaynor, Stratford, Conn.

Application `Iuly 3, 1934, Serial No. 733,59?

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches, and, more particularly. to the snap or quickacting types.k

This invention is an improvement on my invention described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 403,437, led October 30, 1929, now Patent No. 1,969,263.

An object ofthis invention is to provide improved means or mounting the switch body on' an escutcheon or carrying body.

Another object is to provide means for preventing ashing over or arcing between the contacts and the contact-engaging rollers when the latter leave the contacts in breaking a circuit carrying a heavy'current. l

Another object of this invention is to provide improved means for indicating the on and oi conditions of the switch. i

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure l is a top pian view of one form of the switch of the present invention.

' Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the switch shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the switch shown in Fig. 1.

30 Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line Fig. 6 is a bottom view, partly broken away, showing the switch illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

35 Fig. '7 is a side View of another form of switch oi the present invention, the corner being broken .away t0 show the means for fastening the body to the supporting plate.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the supporting plate 40 through which the vswitch extends, portions of the plate and switch body being broken away to show the mounting means.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the switch oi the present invention comprises an in- 45 sulating body l@ divided longitudinally into two parts or insulating blocks l l which may be semicircular in form and t together as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 or square as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The meeting faces ci the blocks ll are recessed 50 to provide a chamber l2 in which the switch mechanism is located, and'this recess extends to the exterior of the body where it forms a longitudinal slot i3 extending from close to one end of the body to close to the other end and 55 through which a bar-like handle ifi, Figs. 1 to 6,

(Cl. 20u-168) lever Ita, Figs. '7 and 8, extends for manual engagement to actuate the switch' mechanism. The handle or lever 4iills the slot I3 leaving only sufficient clearance .between itself and the walls of the slot for free oscillation. g

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the body is adapted to be supported by a :Icke l5 having screw-receiving holes I6 by j means of which the switch maybe mounted on a supporting structure and having depending 10 ears I'l adapted to embrace the sides of the body I0. The yoke has two depending ears Il, one at each side of the body and lying in recesses i8 on the sides of the body.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the switch is mounted on a 15 body I5a having holes Ilia for receiving fastening screws.

The two insulating blocks Il constituting the body may be secured together and then be secured to the ears ll of the supporting yoke. '20

Accordingly, each block Il is provided with a screw receiving metal insert in the form of a hollow rivet I9 aligned with a hole 20 in the other block l l, through which the insert projects.

y The threaded holes 20a, in the inserts i9 are 25` adapted to align with similar holes 2l in the yoke ears Il so that after the two blocks Il are tted together, and the rivets are peened or spun over, the yoke ears may be slid down through the `recesses i8 until the holes 2l in the 30 yoke ears align with the holes 2t, whereupon headed screws 22 may be inserted and adjustedy in the inserts I9 in the opposite blocks ll. By this simple means, the blocks are held together and the yoke is secured to the blocks. The yoke l5 is provided with an elongated aperture 23 through which the handle l@ may be operated. In order that the handle need not have sliding contact with the walls of the aperture in the yoke and yet to provide a flush surface at the top of the switch, the perimeter of the straight edge of the body is provided with a shoulder 2li adapted to t within the aperture 23 of the yoke, permitting the surface 25 of the yoke to be flush with the surface 26 of the body. 45

Preferably, the aperture 23 in the yoke is made to snugly iit over the shouldered portion 213 of the body to firmly embrace the blocks ll constituting the' body and prevent any tendency of the blocks to spread apart'at the straight 50 edge through which the operating handle M extends. Likewise in the square switch body shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the shouldered portion 2da snugly nts an aperture 29a in the body 45a.

The switch mechanism of the present invention is of the toggle type and comprises a con tact-bridging member 21 in the form of a roller having an axle 28 carried by links 29 mounted on an axle 30 to swing from one position of rest the contacts 32 and rises until lit strikes vertical Yiacetcb'eoperatedto where the roller engages abutments 3i on the body (see Fig. 4) to another position of rest where the roller engages a pair of contacts 32 to close a circuit lncludinghsaid contacts. The links 29 are so designed that the contact-bridging roller 21 does not engage the adjacent surface 33 of the body but swings clear of it.

The switch mechanism also includes a pair of arms 3d forming a U-shaped frame whose lower end has a socket 35 engaging the contact-bridging rollers axie 28 and carryingat its upper end a slidable head 38 adapted to be engaged by an operating arm 31V carried by the handle i4 which, it should be noted, is fulcrumed on the axle 3G which also carries the links 23. 'Interposed be tween the sliding head 36 and shoulders t8 on the arms 34 is al coil spring 39 which tends to hold the switch mechanism and the operating handle i4 in either of two positions of rest, the spring urging the operating arm 31 upwardly and causing the lower edge 49 on the handle to engage a stop 4l on the body. I

When the handle is rocked, the operating arm 31 thereon presses the sliding head 86 downwardly compressing the spring 39. While doing so, due to a lmife edge 42 on the operating arm 31 engaging a depression 43 in the sliding head 36, the arm 34 is rocked about its mounting on the roller axle 28, and thus the upper end of the spring is carried beyond a lin'e drawn through the axle 39 for the handle and the axle' 23 for the contact-bridging roller 21. When this occurs, the spring may again expand and in doing so moves the end of the arm 34 engaging the roller 21 away from the stop 3i toward the contacts 32, or viceversa, according to the previous condition of the switch, and at the same time completes the rocking movement of the handle until one of the stops 4I is engaged by one of the ends 40 of the handle. During this movement, the roller 21 is guided solely by the links 29. In moving from the off position to the on p0- sition, the roller strikes inclined surfaces i of surfaces 45 of the contacts. 'lhis is permitted by providing looseness as bya slot 41 between the-links 29 on their axle 39, and as a resulto! this movement, the Aspring 39 may act to resiliently press the roller into the depression formed by the sloping surfaces 44 and the vertical surfaces 45 of the contacts, and thus insures good electrical engagement between rthe bridgingroller 21 and the contacts.

In the illustrated embodiment of this vention, the handle i 4 shown in Figs. 1 to 6. incllve, comprises a bar having two contiguous A 45 angularly disposed with relation to eachother for manual engagement to.k operate the switch. The angle between the. surfaces 43 is suchthat in each position of rest of the switch one of the surfaces` 4t is substantially parallel with the straight edge of thebody and the supporting yoke, the other surface .43 sloping upwardly from a medialpoint andvbeing always the next surchange the cmdition of the switch. f

As shown herein, the operating arm 31 for the handle may be ametal piece inserted in thev handle during'the molding thereof), but the handle itself is made of insulating material so acsooa that a person operating it will not receive an electrical shock in doing so, for it should be noted that the other moving parts of. the switch are metallic and are in electrical engagement with the contact-bridging roller 21.

The axle 30 for the handle is mounted directly in the blocks il, and thus the provision of a separate supporting frame in the body for the axle is avoided. The bearing for the axle 30 is constituted by sockets 68 in the blocks in which the axle ts. These sockets are closed at the outside of the blocks so that no electrical contact may be made therewith. Moreover, by providing the sockets 48 instead of holes, end thrust on the axle is absorbed by the body and consequently the axle need not be fastened to the handle or other parts but may be merely a pin having a sliding t therewith.

The recesses i2 and the meeting faces of the blocks ii also open to the exterior at the edge of the body and there provide a slot #i9 in which the contacts 32 maybe located so that ears t on the contacts may be located at the exterior of the body where they are provided with wireattaching screws 5l. The contacts 32, which are formed of iiat pieces. are adapted to be mounted on the blocks il and secured ilrmly in place without the use of tools and so that when the blocks il are secured together the contacts 32 cannot be moved or removed. To accomplish this, each of the contacts 32 is provided with an aperture 52 adapted to iit'over and be supported by a similarly shaped lug 53 on one of the blocks ll when the blocks are apart, and the apertures 52 and lugs 53 are non-cylindrical so as to pre. vent turning movement of the contact when supported on the lug. When the blocks il are assembled, the contacts lie parallel with each Jother and with the walls of the body.

The contacts 32 are insulated from each other and are held in position against sidewise movement in the slot 49 by insulation 54. In the form voi? .the invention herein shown, the insulation 54 consists of three strips 54a. and 54h of bre or other insulating material placed face to face. 'Each strip 54a has an aperture adapted to align with the apertures 52 inthe contacts and to ilt `the lugs 53 on the side blocks Il of the switch. The middle strlp 54h is so located as to t over both lugs 53 when the blocks I l of the body are brought together.

In assembling the a contact 32 and'one of the insulating strips '54a is placed on each I lug I3. Then the middle strip 54h is placed on one of the lugs 53 so that when the two halves of the body of the switch are brought together, the lugs on both blocks Il will project into the aperture in the middle strip-54h, and in this way the blocks are aligned relative to each other and are held against endwise and turning movements even before the blocks are otherwise fastened together.

The insulation 54 and contacts 32 completely nll the slot 49 through which they extend and their lower portions are shaped to conform substantially to the contour of the body. The strips onhebodymmjectsinwmeemmber when ,.itformsawali engaging disks 21. This wall or barrier prevents arcing across the contacts when the rollers 21 leave the contacts, and thus increases the capacity of the switch to handle heavy currents.

Thus, while the inclined surfaces 44 and the vertical surfaces 45 of the contacts project beyond the adjacent surfaces of the insulating strips 54a, the lower end of the inclined surface M is below the upper edge of the barrier wall 54e at the place where the rollers 21 leave the ends of the contacts.

Frequently, it is desired to .have the switch normally biased to the one position, say oil position, so that it is necessary to manually hold the switch in on position. This is accomplished, in the form of the invention herein shown, by providing the handle I4 with depressions or sockets 62 for receiving one end of a returning spring 63, the other end of which may rest on the' top of the insulating block 54, as shown in Fig. 4, or on the stop 4I if the spring is placed in the other side of the handle. With this simple arrangement, to convert the switch from one which may be left in either position of rest to one which is normally biased to one position, it is merely necessary to insert the spring 63 in the desired socket 62 when the switch is`assembled, and should it at any timey be desired to reconvert the switch, it is merely necessary to remove the screws 22, separate the parts H, and remove the spring 62 or place it in the other socket.

The switch shown in Figs. 7 and 8 differs from the one shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, by being square and having a different form of handle or lever. It also diiers in the way in which the switch body is fastened to the mounting body |5a. In this case, instead of having the ears I1 on the mounting body, the latter is provided with the holes i611 for fastening `screws `lll. These screws extend through a hole 1I in the switch body, each half of the switch body having a semicylindrical hole so that when the halves are put together, a complete cylindrical hole is formed.

Between its ends, this hole has a square enlargev ment for receiving a. nut 12 into which the screw 10 is threaded. The nuts 'l2 are placed in the chambers designed to receive them when the two halves of the switch are being assembled.

In order to indicate on and off positions of the switch, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, at each end the switch lever I l is truncated so as to provide a flat surface 13 on which the words on and off appear. These indications on the portion of the switch I4 which project are clearly visible and may easily be read while the indications on the depressed portion are partly concealed Within the casing and are at such an angle as not to be readily noticeable.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:-

, l. In an electric switch, an insulating body comprising two insulating blocks having their meeting faces extending longitudinally of the body, said meeting faces being recessed to form a switch chamber and said recess including a slot continuing substantially narrower portion; a

opening at one edge of the body having a wide portion and a narrow central extension; a switch mechanism in said chamber including a contactbridging member; two parallel contacts located in said slot in the body extending into said recess 5 for engagement with said contact-bridging member and extending to the exterior of the body for wire engagement, said contacts being provided with elongated apertures; a lug on each of said blocks adapted to engage with the aperture of one 10 of the contacts to support the latter on the block against turning movement; an apertured insulating plate on each lug and overlying each contact and located in the wider portion of said slot; and a third insulating plate having an aperture to l5 receive both of said lugs lying between said other insulating plates and extending into the narxrower portion of said slot, said insulating plates jointly completely filling said slot.

2. .In an electric switch, an insulating body 20 comprising two insulating blocks having their meeting faces extending longitudinally of the body, said meeting faces being recessed to form `a switch chamber and said recess including a slot opening at one edge of the body; a switch 25 mechanism in said chamber having a pair of spaced contact-bridging rollers; two parallel contacts located in said slot in the body extending into said recess for engagement with said rollers and extending to the exterior of the body for wire 30 engagement, said contacts being provided with elongated apertures; a lug on each of said blocks adapted to engage with the aperture of one of the contacts to support the latter on the block against turning movement; an apertured insu- 35, lating plate on each lug and overlying each contact; and a third insulating plate having an aperture to receive both of said lugs and lying between said other insulating plates, said insulating plates completely lling said slot, and said third insulating plate extending beyond the end of the contacts and upwardly into the space between said rollers.

3. In an electric switch, an insulating body conprising two insulating blocks having their meeting faces extending longitudinally of the body, said meeting faces being recessedf to form a switch chamber and said recess including a slot opening at one edge ofthe body, a wide portion, and a switch mechanism in said chamber having a pair of. spaced contact-bridging rollers; two parallel contacts located in 4said slot in the body extending into said recess for engagement with said rollers and extending to the exterior of the body for wire engagement, said contacts being provided with elongated apertures; a lug on each of said blocks adapted to engage' with the aperture of one of the contacts to support thelatter on the block against turning movement; and insulating means between /r said contacts and with the contacts completely filling the wide portion of said slot, said insulating means being apertured to receive the lugs on the blocks whereby the insulating means is supported on the blocks against turning move- 65 ment, said insulating means including a plate extending beyond the contacts and upwardly into the space between said rollers and completely filling the narrower portion of the slot.

AR l C. GAYNOR. 70 

